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AMA with Energy Saving Specialist James Hogan from Green Business

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  • 11-03-2016 2:30pm
    #1
    Bank of Ireland: Elaine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,367 ✭✭✭


    Bank of Ireland are delighted to welcome James Hogan from _www.greenbusiness.ie to host our first AMA.

    James is an expert in all things energy saving! We first met James at one of the Bank of Ireland's 50 Enterprise Towns last year. Our Enterprise Town programme involves working with local communities across Ireland and support them to help drive business for SMEs in their locality, and of course showcasing all that the town has to offer. 


    So get posting your energy saving questions here. James is  going to be answering questions Monday 14th March till Wednesday 16th March. We've got great energy saving Spot prizes throughout the days of the AMA.


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    #2
    Peggyweggy
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭Peggyweggy


    Is using your sitting room lights on dim saving on the amount of electircity being used? 

    Why are those new bulbs so expensive and take so long to fully light


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    #3
    irishgeo
    Registered Users Posts: 9,386 ✭✭✭irishgeo


    What's the simplest energy saving measure to implement with the greatest rewards?


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    #4
    oleras
    Registered Users Posts: 2,721 ✭✭✭oleras


    Is it more efficient to have an immersion on constantly or when required ?


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    #5
    lotsofthegreen
    Registered Users Posts: 473 ✭✭lotsofthegreen


    With so many different names on 'energy saving' bulbs nowadays it can be confusing. What is the best option for households. I've often went for the more expensive energy saver but am often disappointed with a lot shorter lifespan than promised on pack 


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    #6
    igohugo12
    Registered Users Posts: 14 ✭igohugo12


    Hi James. Just wondering if leaving the TV on standby uses much energy. And also, im wondering if you could resolve this long standing argument with my partner and myself. I say that leaving the red light on for the electric shower uses so much energy however he said it doesn't.

    Thanks a mill


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    #7
    Diego Murphy
    Registered Users Posts: 405 ✭✭Diego Murphy


    Hi James. Does leaving a phone charger plugged in, use much energy? Or is it more a case of it just being a fire hazard?


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    #8
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    Bank of Ireland: Elaine wrote: »
    Bank of Ireland are delighted to welcome James Hogan from _www.greenbusiness.ie to host our first AMA.

    James is an expert in all things energy saving! We first met James at one of the Bank of Ireland's 50 Enterprise Towns last year. Our Enterprise Town programme involves working with local communities across Ireland and support them to help drive business for SMEs in their locality, and of course showcasing all that the town has to offer. 


    So get posting your energy saving questions here. James is  going to be answering questions Monday 14th March till Wednesday 16th March. We've got great energy saving Spot prizes throughout the days of the AMA.
    Good afternoon

    James Hogan here, from the Green Business Programme, a free advisory service for business on how to better manage your utilities( Energy, Water and Waste). This service is funded by the EPA under the National Waste Prevention Programme.

    I am delighted to be invited by Bank of Ireland to host their first AMA (Ask Me Anything). It is great that BOI have chosen Resource Efficiency and Green Business as their first AMA topic. I will be available to answer questions from homes and businesses  until the close of business on Wednesday 16th March. We will be awarding  random spot prizes for those that engaged in this AMA discussion.
    Looking forward to all of your interesting questions.

    James Hogan,
    Green Business based at Cork Institute of Technology


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    #9
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    Peggyweggy wrote: »
    Is using your sitting room lights on dim saving on the amount of electircity being used? 

    Why are those new bulbs so expensive and take so long to fully light
    Hi Peggyweggy,


    Those "expensive"  new bulbs you are referring to are called LEDs (Light emitting diodes). In reality LEDs are not expensive when you consider the cost of LEDs versus regular tungsten light bulbs.

    While expensive to buy initially, LEDs only use 20% of the electricity of a halogen / tungsten bulb so you cut your electricity costs by a whooping 80% on lighting. On top of that LEDs last for 5 years, so you save on the cost of buying new halogens every 6 months.

    A cost of running a 50 watt halogen bulb for a year ( 24hrs/day) costs about €50/ year. An 8 watt LED will deliver the same light at a cost of €8 / year. That's a saving of €42/ year. An 8 watt LED only costs about €12.

    Don't worry about dimming, its doesn't save much.


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    #10
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    irishgeo wrote: »
    What's the simplest energy saving measure to implement with the greatest rewards?
    Probably the easiest way to save energy in your home or business is to install LED lighting, if you have not done so already.

    See my post to Peggyweggy on the cost benefit if installing LED lighting.

    Installing LED lighting will immediately reduce your electricity cost by 80%, but just as important,  you will reduce your carbon footprint associated with lighting by 80%. This is crucial if we are all to curb global warming. My prediction is that all 90% of lighting will be LED in 2026.


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    #11
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    oleras wrote: »
    Is it more efficient to have an immersion on constantly or when required ?
    Its more efficient to turn on immersion as required. An immersion turned on constantly will loose heat constantly which needs to be topped up.

    If you have a choice to heat water using electricity or by using you gas/ oil boiler, use the boiler as this will cost at least 50% less than using electricity.

    Also remember to insulate your hot water tank and if you have a thermostat turn the temperature down.


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    #12
    GoCanucks
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭GoCanucks


    Hi James,

    My friends and I are always disagreeing on whether a dishwasher is a waste of water and electricity in a two person household?

    I don't have one and wash up after dinner each evening, they say i'd be more energy efficient if i got a dishwasher and that running it with only the dishes pots and pans i use from cooking dinner is better than filling the sink and washing them myself.

    So? sink or dishwasher?


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    #13
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    Lighting seems to be a topical issue with households.

    The most efficient lighting is LED. Reputable LED manufacturers will typically provide you with a 5 year guarantee, so keep your receipt and if the light fails bring it back.

    LED has improved alot in the last few years and now they are at a very advanced stage so you can buy LEDs that give you a choice of light colour, that will dim if you need this and that will last for 5 years. There are alot of cheap LEDs on the market but avoid these and go with the well trusted brands or with a supplier that gives you a guarantee and will be pleased.


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    #14
    cyning
    Registered Users Posts: 3,251 ✭✭✭cyning


    Is it worth it to buy higher energy efficient machines? Obviously there is an extra cost so I'm wondering do they really offset the extra cost: especially when they all seem to be either A++ or A+++ unless you are looking at tumble driers!!


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    #15
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    The answer is based on maths. To calculate how much a piece of equipment will cost to run you need to establish:
    A. Find out the kW rating of the piece of equipment you wish to buy.
    B. Estimate how many hours you typically will run this piece of equipment per year.
    C. From your Electricity bill work out the average unit cost of electricity (€0.0/ kWhr)
    The annual cost of running this piece of equipment = AxBxC

    Now you can compare the annual cost to run one appliance against another and do the Maths on payback!

    If this is all too confusing you could just log onto http://www.seai.ie/Power_of_One/Appliances_and_Labelling/


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    #16
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    Newer TVs don't use as much energy as the older TVs used to. However to give you an example my relatively modern TV uses 14 watts when on standby mode. If on standby for 17 hours per day , when I'm sleeping or at work that equates to 14x17 =238 watts per day x 365 = aprox 86kWhr/ annum @ 16 cent costs about €14 per year.

    Without getting involved in a domestic, the red light on the shower does use electricity, but probably costs between €5 and €10 per annum.


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    #17
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    Phone chargers do use some an amount of energy when plugged in and not changing a phone. These chargers do heat up!!
    As you suggested a bigger concern is a safety one, as chargers have been known to start house fires!!!,, so pleaese turn off at the switch or unplug


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    #18
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    My gut feeling on this one is "Use a dishwasher"

    Modern dishwashers have been proven to use less water and heat energy to wash full loads of dishes than one can achieve using a kitchen tap and sink.

    This rule applies only if dishwashers are used when full and not after every meal. For a family of two I would expect you would only need to use a dishwasher every 2 to 3 days. The downside to this is that you will need to have enough delf, knives and forks to last 2 to 3 days.

    And did you know that you can also cook meals in the dishwasher. I have heard of people cooking fish and veg in bags located among the dishes!!


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    #19
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users Posts: 16,784 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    From a carbon footprint point of view, am I better off using paper towels or electric hand drier in toilets?


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    #20
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    This is a very good question which has led to much research to establish the answer. I have attached a link to study below which shows that airblade dryers have the lowest carbon footprint and are more eco-friendly than paper towels. However paper towels have a lower carbon footprint than conventional warm air dryers.

    http://msl.mit.edu/publications/HandDryingLCA-ExecutiveSummary.pdf


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    #21
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users Posts: 16,784 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    I hear a lot of ads for replacement efficient glass for windows. If you have no other reason to replace your glass other than thermal efficiency, is there a case to be made that the impact of manufacturing, transporting and fitting the glass outweighs the benefits of more efficient glass.

    Likewise, scrapping an old car to buy a new super efficient car makes no ecological sense to me.

    Is this flawed logic?


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    #22
    ALC 1 Blogger
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭ALC 1 Blogger


    Thank for the information.


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    #23
    Skoochie
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭Skoochie


    Hi James,

    Some great tips here thanks :)

    Is it more economical, when boiling the kettle, to only put in the amount of water you need? I always think it's better to fill it and the next time you need to boil it, it won't take so long as there's already some hot water in there. My better half doesn't agree (but what would he know lol) Thanks a million, Skoochie :)


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    #24
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users Posts: 16,784 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    Skoochie wrote: »
    Hi James,

    Some great tips here thanks :)

    Is it more economical, when boiling the kettle, to only put in the amount of water you need? I always think it's better to fill it and the next time you need to boil it, it won't take so long as there's already some hot water in there. My better half doesn't agree (but what would he know lol) Thanks a million, Skoochie :)

    I can answer that one for you.
    Always only boil what you need. Always.

    Are you my father in law, by any chance?


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    #25
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    Skoocchie, I agree with Beoir's answer.

    We have a ECO kettle in our office, with two compartments. A storage compartment and a boiler compartment.
    The kettle requires you to measure the amount of water you need to boil by the cup. This means you only need to heat the water that is required and saves energy.


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    #26
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    Are you and your family keen to live green?

    EPA have just launched a new portal which will provide advice, awareness and education on sustainability at home and in your community.

    http://www.epa.ie/livegreen/#.VulPBBhXQl0


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    #27
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    Beoir
    The answer to both questions requires an "Life Cycle Analysis" .

    It is likely that an Life Cycle analysis will conclude that it is better to drive your old car until it packs in than purchase a new car , even if it is a new electric car. see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/green-motoring/11187483/New-or-old-which-is-greener.html


    Regards the triple glaze efficient windows, it makes to sense o install these when building a house as they will reduce the carbon footprint and energy cost over the lifetime of the house. If you are to retrofit and replace triple glaze windows, with single or double glaze you are talking a significant payback period .


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    #28
    Green Business Specialist
    Company Representative Posts: 14 Verified rep ✭Green Business Specialist


    FREE GREEN BUSINESS SEMINARS FOR BUSINESS AND THE PUBLIC

    If you are interested in reducing your carbon footprint and reducing your energy bills you are welcome to attend one of the Green Business Seminars which will take place in May in Shannon, Dublin and Wexford.

    For more information click on http://greenbusiness.ie/workshop-event/save-the-date-green-business-seminars/
    or Email us: contactus@greenbusiness.ie

    James Hogan


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    #29
    Skoochie
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭Skoochie


    the beer revolu wrote: »
    Are you my father in law, by any chance?

    I'm more likely to be your mother-in-law lol


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    #30
    Boards.ie: Niamh
    Boards.ie Employee Posts: 12,597 ✭✭✭✭✭Boards.ie: Niamh
    Boards.ie Community Manager


    Thanks everyone for both questions and answers.

    How can I? User's guide to some features on the new site



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    #31
    Bank of Ireland: Nicola
    Closed Accounts Posts: 735 ✭✭✭Bank of Ireland: Nicola


    Thanks to everyone for getting involved in our first AMA, especially to James Hogan from Green Business for sharing his great energy saving tips.

    Here are our green prize winners:

    1st prize – the beer revolu - Owl Micro (wireless energy monitoring)
    2nd prize – lotsofthegreen – Good Grips Produce keeper
    3rd, 4th & 5th prizes– irishgeo, GoCanucks & cyning – Potato bag/Banana bag (extends life)

    Prizewinners please send us a PM by clicking here and we'll have your prize sent to you.

    If you’re thinking about making energy saving renovations to your home take a look at our home improvement loan here.

    Remember if you’ve any banking queries feel free to drop by our Talk to Forum
    Thanks
    Nicola


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